Betterman
by IFeltHope44
Summary: After living with Aang for a couple years, Katara realizes that the life she has is not the life she wants. One-sided Kataang, Zutara hints. Inspired by the song "Betterman" by Pearl Jam.


**Written for one of my amazing friends who loves Pearl Jam and Zutara. n_n**

**Inspired by my favorite song by Pearl Jam. I though a couple of the lines were quite fitting.**

**I own nothing! Zuko, Katara, Aang, Iroh, and anything else recognizable from the Avatar world belong to Mike/Bryan/Nickelodeon. The song "Betterman" belongs to Pearl Jam.**

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"_She lies and says she's in love with him, can't find a better man. She dreams in color, she dreams in red, can't find a better man." -_Pearl Jam

The old wooden door creaked open slowly at the newly resurrected Air Temple. It was some ridiculous hour in the morning, Katara knew, but she couldn't sleep. She was about to make either the very worst or the very best decision of her life…it depended on certain _matters_.

The war had ended four years ago, and Aang was no longer the innocent little boy she used to look after. He was a young man now and was drastically changing in the way that young men do. He had grown nearly a foot in the last year and towered over everyone but Fire Lord Zuko, who, in all honesty, wasn't much taller anymore. He'd become more reserved, though still talkative…when he wanted to be.

The change that Katara noticed most, however, was the way he now looked at her. Before, he'd meet her eyes when he talked to her. Lately, though, his eyes started dropping lower and lower down her body that she squirmed uncomfortably under his stare. Now, it was rare that they made eye contact.

Soft yet heavy footfalls entered her room-Aang, of course: only a handful of people lived at the Temple now, none of which would dare enter the master water bender's private quarters unannounced. She turned her back to the door and pretended to sleep, buying her time.

She'd been lying to herself for years, and she knew it. So badly she wanted to love Aang, so that's what she told herself. _I love Aang_. But every night, deep within her slumber, her dreams were filled with red. Red sunsets, red robes, red curtains, red fire, red lilies. A red necklace around her neck, tan skin with pale skin among red sheets, a red scar. At night, when her thoughts were private, she went to the Fire Nation to be with Zuko.

She never loved Aang the way he loved her-never loved him as more than a brother, maybe even as a son; now, she realized the hard truth. So when she felt his eyes heavy on her body, she stirred faintly, as if still sleeping.

"I know you're awake, Katara," Aang said loudly, not even bothering with a soft voice, despite the hour of the morning.

The deep breaths she had been taking to steady herself quickly turn to shivering sobs and she rolled over and met him face to face. "I'm leaving," she whispered.

"Where are you going?" he asked, not understanding.

"_Leaving_." She didn't quite know how to break it to him gently. "I'm leaving here. You. I can't _do _this anymore." Gray eyes flashed black and a fist was sent plummeting into the wooden door, leaving a crater.

"What? You can't leave me! I'm the Avatar!"

She shook her head slowly, weeping. "You can't rely on that excuse! You're Aang! You're the boy I saved from an iceberg years ago and you're the boy I thought I loved. I mean, I love you, just not the way you want me to. I can't waste my life here." She was on her feet, grabbing random pieces of clothing and stuffing them into a bag.

The Avatar's voice was low, dangerous. "This has something to do with Zuko, doesn't it?" He clenched his jaw and waited for his answer.

Tears streamed down her warm cheeks as she nodded helplessly. Aang's nostrils flared at this and Katara backed away when she saw the tattoos on his arms start to glow.

"That son of a-"

"He didn't do anything wrong!"

"That depends on your definition of _wrong_." His steely voice wavered furiously. "When I get my hands on him-"

"You can't hurt him!" Katara interrupted again. Stormy black eyes grew wide as the Water Tribe girl defended the man who once tied her to a tree and nearly had them all killed. "I'll fight for him. I'll fight _with _him. But I _don't _want to fight _you_." The young man's tattoos glowed the slightest bit brighter. "Goodbye, Aang. I love you." She quickly ducked under his arm and down the hall, weaving down several different corridors and escaping the Temple from an old side passage.

...

Two figures waited on the marble steps that led up to the palace. The shorter, older one with long white hair and an ample round belly patted the refined arm of the one with a crown pinned through his jet black hair. "Don't worry, nephew," the older one assured. "I'm sure she'll be here soon."

Gardeners from the palace had seen one of the Water Tribe war heroes at the market-the healer girl that was very much favored by staff and officials alike-and immediately brought the joyous news to the administrators. The whole palace was awaiting her arrival.

Sure enough, like the old man said, a figure clad in blue walked down the paved road to the court yard. An unsure smile graced her lips as she knelt on one knee before the two waiting figures.

"My Lord. General," she murmured in respect. She rose from the ground to find that same arrogant smirk on the young man's face that had been there when she left the Fire Nation years ago.

"I've missed you, _Lady _Katara," he said, holding out his arms, palms up.

She smiled brightly and instantly embedded herself in his embrace. "I've missed you too, Zuko." Then, as he held her around the waist and she patted the old man's back in recognition, she knew she was where she belonged.

_~Fin~_

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**For those of you who think Aang and/or Katara would never act like this,**  
**1) It's fanfiction,**  
**2) My friend pointed out that Aang had not yet, uh, gone through puberty in the show. The poor kid isn't going to stay goofy and sweet and lovable and controlled when he's a teenager, and**  
**3) ...I actually don't have a third point. xD I am simply not a Kataanger. Though any argument looks better with three points. Don't you agree? **

**Review, please?**  
**Tchao, Zutarians.**  
**-Erika-**  
**xoxo**


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